Electrical annunciator



(No Model.)

A. F. PARKS.

ELECTRICAL ANNUNGIATOR.

No. 421,508. Patented Peb.18, 1890*.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT F. PARKS, OE TROY, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES E. LEE, OF ROCHESTER, NEWYORK.

ELECTRICAL ANNUNCIATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,508, dated February18, 1890.

Application filed August 27, 1887. Serial No; 248.092. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT RPAEKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrical Annunciators,of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to make an instrument which, being placedin electrical connection with various rooms or want or similar calls,will indicate by characters exposed the location of the person callingor want desired, and all purposes for which annunciators are commonlyused. The object is attained by means of the mechanism illusstrated inthe annexed drawings.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the instrument with front and dropremoved. Fig. 2 shows the mechanism with the case and card on whichindications are marked removed. Fig. 3 shows the drop for the fourdropannunciator in an enlarged view. Fig. 4 shows a section through theinstrument on the line C C in Fig. 2.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

' A, B, O, and Dare fixed brass strips, of

which there isonefor each section or call.

E is a fixed strip in electrical connection with the magnet O, whichworks the armature P, which engages the notches Q Q Q Q in the plate R,which is movable 011 the rod Y, which is attached to a frame either onthe back or cover of the box. The latter is bet ter, as it allows betterinspection of the details by merely opening the cover.

Z is a pin in the rod Y, which prevents said rod from dropping out ofits bearings, and is also used to raise the drop R, for when the rod Yis pushed up the pin strikes the under side of the plate R and pushes itup also.

F, G, H, and I are screws to which the sectional wires are attached, andwhich are in electrical connection with the strips A B O D by the wiresrepresented by dotted lines.

J is screw for connecting the strip Ewith magnet O. K is screw toconnect magnet O and a battery. L and M are screws to attach bell.

N is a hinge in electrical connection with M, and also with the rod Ywhen rod Y is placed in the cover.

S is a metallic comb in connection with the plate R, and is used to ringthe bell.

T is a metallic comb electrically insulated from R and S by the block ofebonite or similar insulating material A and B, and is used to connectthe circuit through the battery and magnet O.

U are the screws,which secure the plate R, the combs S and T, and theinsulating material A and B in a solid body.

V is the card on which the indications are marked, and which makes thewant or call known by falling until the proper indication is directlybehind the orifice \V in the 'coverfront X.

The plate R is preferably of thin metahwith its ends bent toward thefront, the horizontal portions having the perforations through whichpasses the rod Y, and having projections on the ends adapted to bepassed through the card V, and when bent down to clasp and hold saidcard firmly, this forming a cheap and simple slide and indicatingplate.B furnishes stock to hold the threads of U.

D is a metallic plate through which the electrical connection between Yand N is made.

H is the base.

I is the cover.

E is the knob on rod Y.

By forming all the contact-strips A E C D E on the back of the case andproviding a movable plate witlr the contact-fingers thereon I am enabledto construct the annunciator very cheap and simple, in putting the partstogether it being only necessary to place the traveling indicating-plateR V upon the rod Y and secure the latter in the case in the mannerdescribed. This construction also provides good rubbing-surfaces, thatwill keep themselves bright and make good electrical contact at alltimes. The rod 011 which the plate slides is comparatively small; butthe bearing afforded at the back of the plate R by the fingers of platesS and T will be sufficiently broad to prevent all possibility of saidplates turning, and will therefore hold the indicator-card in properposition.

In the normal condition the drop has the position shown in Fig. 2-thatis, with the lower projection Q resting on armature P. The action is asfollows, whatever be the number of indications, supposing, as in thiscase, there be four indications, with, for instance, Dining Room markedat the bottom, then Front Door, then Alley Door,

then Parlor at the top: WVhen by suitable means an electrical connectionis made at% the front door, the current will pass through 4 G B T E J(magnet) K, or vice versa, thus exciting the magnet 0, which attractsthe:

armature P, which releases the drop R and the drop falls and the combsrub over the:

surfaces in H.

When the second notch Q:

reaches the end of the armature P, the comb T will have passed off the'end'of strip 0,? thus breaking the circuit through 0, whichreleases Pand allows it to be in position to catch the plate on the second tooth Qwhich 1 eX'poses front door at the opening W.

In this position the comb S connects the bell in cirj cuit, as (3} B S RY D N M (bell) L K, or; vice versa. In this case battery and thecircuit-closer are in the external circuit between E G and K. Any othercall would have similar connections, due account being taken of 'thestrips. z a

What I claim as my invention isand for the purpose described.

2. The combination of conducting-strips, one for each indication,insulated from each other and attached to a board or other suitableframe, so placed that the ends form lines diagonal to the horizon, twometallic combs with teeth corresponding in number with theconductor-strips, the combs suitably connected electrically, one withthe bell, the other with the drop-magnet, all as shown and set forth inthe specification, as and for the purpose described.

3. In an annunciator, the combination of a gravity-drop attached tometallic combs, one or bothinsulated from the drop, arranged to slideover strips placed in the paths of the teeth of the combs, said metallicstrips to be parallel and offequallength, substantially as shown and setforth, as and for the purpose shown, v a

- 4. In an annunciator,the'combination, with the inagnet'a'nd the detentoperated thereby, of the gravitating plate having the series of stops onits edge with which the detent ongages corresponding to the severalcircuits, an indicator connected to and carried by said plate, a seriesof contacts connected to the several circuits extending parallel withthe plate, a contact-plate located upon the movable plate, with whichthe several circuit-contacts break contact insuccession when'the plateis moved, and a main circuit including the contact-plate, substantiallyas described. 5. In an annunciator, the combination, with the magnet,its armature and the detent operated thereby, of theautomatically-movable plate having a series of stops with which thedetent engages corresponding to the several circuits, an indicatorconnected to and movable therewith, aseries of contacts connected to theseveral circuits, 'a 'contac't plate located on the movable plate,having portions with which the circuit-contacts eo-operate,'aseco'ndcontact-plate, also on the main plate, with which thecircuit-'co'l'itacts engage after leaving the first-mentioned plate, acircuitcontaining an alarm with which the second plate is electricallyco'nnected,fand a main circuit in which the first-mentioned contactplateor plates and the magnet are connected, substantially'as described.

6. The combination, vwith the base having the series of contact-stripsconnected with the several circuits and the strip connected to themagnet thereon, of the traveling plate carrying the indicator and havingthe series ofstops and thetwo contactplates insulated from each otherthereon, a magnet connected to one of the "contact-plates, an armatureco operating with the notches on the plate, and an alarm connected totheother contact 'plate', substantially as described,

7. The combination, with the se'ries'of stationary contact-strips, ofthevertical rod,the plate movable on the rod having the indicator andtheseries of stops thereon, the contact-plate also on the movable platecooperating with the series of stationary strips, the

magnet and its armature oo-operating with the stops on the plate,substantially as described. p 1 h r H V y 8. The combination, withthe'seriesof contact-strips, of the movable plate having thecontact-plate arranged to break contact with the strips in succession,the vertical rod on which the movable plate is mounted, theseries ofstops and the series of indications corresponding thereto on the plate,the armature co-operating with the stop and themagnet for operating it,and circuits embodyingthe magnet and several contact-strips,substantially as described. 7 a a 9. The combination, with theverticallymovable rod having the proj ec'tion, the plate slidingthereonhavinga series of in'dications and a series of stops, of thearmature co-operating with the stops, the magnetfor operating it, andswitching devices operated by the movement of the plate for causing thearrest of the plate by the armature, whereby any of the series ofindications can be designated and the plate be reset from any positionby the operation of the supporting-rod, substantially as described.

10. In an annunciator, the combination, with the vertical rodyof theplate having the bent perforated ends and the projections thereon, andthe indicator-card through which the projections are passed to secure itto'the plate, substantially as described.

11. In an annunciator, the combination, with the vertical rod, of theplate having the bent perforated ends, the projections thereon and thestops formed in its'edges, an indicator-card fastened to saidpr0jections,a magnet, and an armature co-operating with the stops on theplate, substantially as described.

12. In an annunciator, the combination, with the movable platehaving aseries of stops on its edge with which a detent engages corresponding tothe several circuits, an indicator connected to and carried by saidplate, a series of contacts connected to the several circuits extendingparallel With the plate, and a contact-plate located upon the movableplate, With which the several circuitcontaets engage to break contact insuccession as the plate is moved, of the magnet and its armature pivotedon a center substantially at right angles to the plate, arranged toengage the stops thereon, and a main circuit including the contact-plateand magnet, substantially as described.

ALBERT F. PARKS.

WVitnesses:

O. WELLMAN PARKS, E. A. FREAR.

